


Austin

by Dandelion657



Series: Inspired by Songs - Voltron Edition [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Song based fic, characters post-college age, sort of long distance relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 03:19:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandelion657/pseuds/Dandelion657
Summary: A year apart isn't enough to keep them from still loving each other.





	Austin

**Author's Note:**

> Voltron AU. Based on Blake Shelton’s Song “Austin.” I was listening to this and thought about writing a Keith/Lance one-shot based on it. For this, Keith and Lance are currently fresh out of college/starting jobs but live in different places. More will be explained in the story as to why. Main relationship for this is Klance, but other characters – namely Pidge and Shiro – will be featured/mentioned. Let’s get on with this, shall we?
> 
> Also, if I missed anything I should have tagged this as, let me know. I'm not that good at tagging and still learning exactly how it works.
> 
> The italics section is a flashback.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own anything originally in the show nor do I own the song.

_She left without leaving a number_

_Said she needed to clear her mind_

Pidge stared at Keith from across the table. Keith was staring at his phone, debating if making the long-dreaded phone call was going to be worth it. Silence filled the air around them. Neither one was moving, just simply staring. Pidge waited for Keith to make the first movement toward his phone. Keith was waiting for Pidge to snap him out of this weird state of hesitation.

He got his wish when Pidge finally snapped.

“Just pick it up and call him already!”

“It’s not that easy, Pidge,” Keith huffed, leaning back in his chair. “It’s been a year. Who says he’ll even want to talk to me? What if he hangs up the second he hears who it is?”

“Well, it’s kind of your fault for it taking a year for you to get the courage to call him again,” Pidge shrugged. “So that part’s on you. And no one said you had to cut contact with him. He has a right to be angry about it, but I highly doubt he will be.”

“That’s not really helping,” Keith narrowed his eyes at her. Pidge only shrugged again.

He knew this was all his fault. He was the one who left without giving Lance an explanation. Then again, he thought he made the possibility of him leaving to clear his head of negative thoughts was made clear enough. Keith had barely realized he had left Lance with a short note that said nothing of where he was going until he was already home. Well, it didn’t feel like home anymore. He had realized a couple months in that he felt at home when he was with Lance.

However, his leaving had been eventful, to say the least. Part of it was because he had received news that Shiro had been in a bad car accident again. Worry had clouded his mind and he left without a second thought. He hadn’t even told Lance about it before he was out the door. Keith was pretty sure that as far as Lance was concerned, Keith just up and left. His note was very vague. All he had written was _“I’m sorry.”_

The Holts had picked him up when he arrived. Pidge looked distraught as her father and brother were involved in this wreck as well. Sam and Matt Holt along with Shiro had been slammed into by a guy who wasn’t watching where he was going and it wasn’t pretty. Luckily, no one had lost their limbs and they were all still alive, but the injuries were bad.

Keith had decided to stay as long as he was needed to help with Shiro’s recovery. Pidge did the same, deciding to take online classes for school for the next couple of semesters so she could be with her family. In all that time, Keith had not once contacted Lance to let him know what had happened. If he was being honest, he hadn’t even thought of contacting Lance until half a year had passed. When he realized that, he had hesitated. He was too worried that he had gone too long without contacting the only person he could comfortably say he loved – in the romantic way, at least.

The realization that Keith still loved Lance had hit him hard. Throughout their relationship, Lance had been the one to help him through his toughest times and vice versa. Lance always had a way of making him smile and getting under his skin over random little things that interested them. They both had their own issues to work through and Lance played a big part in helping Keith deal with his. However, leading up to the call about Shiro, Keith had been letting his issues get to him and drive him to thoughts of possibly leaving.

_“It won’t be fair to ask you to wait for me, so I won’t,” Keith said, looking at Lance and wishing he didn’t bring this topic up. Lance had asked what was bothering him and Keith had decided being honest here was best._

_”Why are you talking like you’re definitely going to leave?” Lance asked._

_“Because I’m seriously considering doing so,” Keith replied. Lance was about to speak, but Keith continued before he could. “But I promise, it has nothing to do with you. I know that sounds really cheesy and bad and like I don’t mean it, but I do. If I leave, it’s because I let my own issues get to me. You know how I get about it. You know how sometimes I feel like this place is too crowded for me to deal with them.”_

_Lance looked upset and rightfully so. There was a look of understanding in his eyes, but Keith knew he was still upset. Lance felt like he hadn’t done enough to help Keith deal with his problems, but at the same time, he understood that sometimes, Keith’s head felt too cluttered with thoughts and feelings and everything else that he felt he needed to get away. “So it’s still only a maybe, right now?”_

_“I think so…”_

_“Then I’m going to do what I can to help you figure these issues out before you decide you need to get away,” Lance declared, smiling a bit. Keith looked at him, slightly surprised. “I love you, Keith. And if you ever feel you need to get away, let me know. That’s all I ask. You let me know when you feel like you need to get away, and I’ll try and help you get away, even if it’s just for a little while.”_

_“I really don’t deserve you,” Keith let out a sad chuckle._

He still thought that. Lance was too good to him. When thoughts of Lance had begun resurfacing in his head once things calmed down, he realized that he had broken his promise of telling Lance when he needed to get away. He felt like an idiot for not even trying to reach out and explain that this time, it was more than just needing to get away.

Lance was a major part of Keith’s life and in his mind, he still was. Keith had realized he was still in love with Lance, which led him to where he was now.

It had been almost a year since Keith took off and not once had he tried contacting Lance. At first, he had been too preoccupied with helping Shiro. Once he realized he should probably call Lance, thoughts of Lance not wanting to talk to him filled his head and deterred him from picking up the phone. Pidge had realized this pretty quickly and tried to help him get the courage to give Lance a call. Keith sometimes forgot that she was friends with Lance and Hunk as well, both of whom were still where Keith had left them. Keith knew Lance would be fine because Hunk was Lance’s best friend and was always there for him.

Pidge had kept him updated on a few things regarding Lance, mostly in terms of how he was doing. According to her, Lance had managed to finish school and get a job right away. Keith hadn’t even gotten his degree because he was concerned about Shiro. He didn’t even think of school until Pidge had brought it up.

“Keith, call him!”

Keith was startled out of his thoughts as Pidge’s voice reached his ears. She was now holding his phone out to him.

“Either you call him or I will. And I really don’t think you want me to call him.”

With a sigh, Keith took the phone from her and muttered something under his breath about Pidge being a gremlin. His fingers shook a bit as he dialed Lance’s number.

When it went through, it began ringing.

“Well?” Pidge asked.

Three rings before it cut to voicemail. Keith sighed. “Voicemail.”

He listened to Lance’s voice, figuring it couldn’t hurt to leave a message.

_“If you’re calling about the car I sold it. If this is Tuesday night, I’m bowling. If you got something to sell, you’re wasting your time. I’m not buying. If it’s anybody else, wait for the tone. You know what to do.”_

Keith thought that was the end of it, but Lance’s voice continued, surprising him.

_“And PS…If this is Keith…I still love you.”_

His face flushed red and the phone hit the table top. That was far from what he expected to hear.

Pidge hung up the phone and was staring at him curiously. Keith was in disbelief. He told Lance not to wait for him, but he never expected to hear Lance say he was still in love with him. Why would Lance hang onto him that long?

“Well?” Pidge prompted.

“He…he still loves me…”

* * *

 

Keith had spent the next three days mulling over Lance’s words. Was it true? How long did Lance use that message for? Did he change it recently to that or had it been set to that shortly after Keith left? He knew Lance had definitely changed it after he left because Pidge had told him so, but how soon ago did Lance change it to that?

Pidge had tried to get him to call back and say something, but Keith couldn’t bring himself to do it yet. When Shiro had returned home and found Keith still red in the face but pacing around, he tried to help Keith. Keith had just ranted about how Lance could possibly still love him after Keith left him almost a year ago with barely a word. He seemed to forget that Pidge was very capable of keeping Lance informed in what was going on.

Now, Keith laid in his bed staring at his phone with Lance’s contact information on the screen. He knew he should try again and at least say _something,_ but he couldn’t figure out what to say. What if Lance had changed the message again and it no longer said he loved Keith? What if he had dreamed it all up? What if Lance had actually moved on and just forgot to change the message and didn’t really want to hear from Keith again?

“Just press the call button.”

Keith jumped, startled. His phone slipped from his hands and hit the floor as he glared up at Shiro. He glared at his brother. Shiro only rolled his eyes.

“Keith, you heard him say in his message that he still loves you,” Shiro said. “I know you still love him, so why can’t you leave him a message that says that?”

“Because it’s been a year, Shiro!” Keith argued. “How do I know how true that is? He could have set it as his message not long after I left and just never bothered changing it. He could have moved on.”

“And maybe he didn’t,” Shiro shrugged. “You won’t know until you try. Besides, you left for a good reason. Lance would understand that. And if he did move on, then you’ll have to deal with it.”

“But that wasn’t the only reason and Lance knows that as well.”

“And you said he did what he could to help you with that, right?”

“I broke a promise to him to let him help,” Keith explained. “How can he still love me after that?”

“Keith,” Shiro looked him in the eyes, completely serious and having enough of this bullshit. “Trust me when I say Lance can still love you after that because he _knows_ you. He knows you wouldn’t have left him without reason, even if he may not know that reason. And yes, I think you should have talked to him sooner about why, but I know how you get and so does he. I’m fine now, we’re all out in the clear. I know it took us a while to recover, but we’re not as bad as we were when it happened. I’m glad you came back to help, but now I want you to think about what you want and let me help you get it. If what you want is Lance, then call him again and leave a message and see what happens from there.”

Keith stared at him for a moment. Shiro had a point on all accounts, but Keith was still a bit worried about the accident. He had to help Shiro through some PTSD episodes because of it and help him through some physical therapy as it messed up his arm again. Shiro had lost his arm in a car wreck when he was a teenager and his most recent accident had destroyed his prosthetic and left a very long scar across his nose among a few fractures here and there. He also knew that as bad as Shiro had gotten off, Pidge’s dad had been in the worst condition of the three and had still lived. All three had recovered well and Sam was still recovering a bit, but Shiro and Matt were fine enough to be on their own again.

“Call him back,” Shiro told him once more before disappearing.

Keith simply sat on his bed for a moment, letting Shiro’s words process. With a sigh, he picked up his phone and brought up Lance’s contact info again. He stared at it for a moment before deciding that it was now or never and called it.

This time, there was a new message that greeted him after three rings, but it was still Lance’s voice.

_“If it’s Friday night I’m at the ball game and first thing Saturday if it don’t rain I’m heading out to the lake and I’ll be gone, all weekend long. But I’ll call you back when I get home on Sunday afternoon. And PS…if this is Keith…I still love you.”_

Speaking quickly, Keith left only his new number and hung up. His face was red again. Lance still loved him as that message had to have been made recently. He hoped Lance would call back.

He just had to wait until Sunday.

* * *

“I can’t believe you still have a landline,” Allura shook her head as she followed Hunk and Lance into Lance’s apartment. She was in town for a work conference and decided she would make time to visit them as well. “Do people even still call it?”

“Only people I don’t trust to have my cell number,” Lance grinned. “And people who have both but try to catch me at home.”

“No,” Hunk scoffed. “He still has it because he’s hoping Keith will call it because he doesn’t want to deal with a call from Keith in public.”

“Why not?” Allura frowned. “I mean, I know it’ll be awkward, but…”

Lance sighed. “Because, Allura, I don’t want to have a long conversation with Keith in public. He knows that as much of a flirt and PDA person I can be, I’d still rather have the longer and more serious talks in the privacy of my home.”

“Still a little lost here, but whatever,” Allura shrugged.

Hunk shook his head with a smile before going to rummage through Lance’s kitchen. He was planning on cooking for the three of them while Allura filled them in on things going on with Shiro and Matt and everyone else. Pidge had told them some things, such as the fact that Shiro, Matt, and Sam had gotten into a bad car accident. That fact had made Lance realize that Keith most likely left because of that. However, Pidge hadn’t spoken to them as often as they hoped because she had been busy with her family and school. The boys understood, but they still felt a bit out of the loop.

Luckily for them, Allura was very good at staying in touch and keeping people in the loop. She knew all the gossip there was to know about anyone in their group. She kept the boys more informed about what was going on with the Holts, Shiro, and Keith than the others did.

Lance would have been lying if he said Keith leaving him didn’t hurt him at first. He knew they had discussed it and he also now knew that Keith’s issues weren’t the only reason he left, but it still hurt. Hunk had helped him get through it, especially when Keith wouldn’t answer his phone or anything. Apparently, Keith not answering his phone turned out to be because he lost it within his first week of being gone. Pidge had given Lance Keith’s new number, but Lance hadn’t called it. She had told Lance that Keith was working through a lot and that it might be best to give him a little time. Lance took her advice and decided to let Keith make the first move.

He had changed the answering machine message on his phone a lot, making sure that each time he did, he would say that he still loved Keith in hope of the boy calling and hearing it. He realized he still loved Keith and always would. To him, Keith was his end game and despite Keith telling him not to wait, Lance was determined to wait. He knew Keith would come around eventually and he was planning on waiting. Lance couldn’t see himself loving anyone else. He had tried, but every time he saw a potential partner in the past year, he couldn’t see it going past a few dates. Every time he thought of Keith, he still saw them growing old together.

Although, Lance had to admit he was getting impatient waiting for Keith to make the first move. He and Hunk made a deal that Lance would give it a few more months before he decided to hunt down Keith or call him. He still worried about Keith and time was almost up before Lance would call him to see what was going on.

“Ugh, I got so many messages,” Lance groaned. He knew he should’ve stayed home this weekend. His lake trips were something he did to get away from the city for a while. He didn’t go every weekend, but people calling didn’t need to know that. “Bet you most of them are telemarketers who didn’t get the hint.”

“Considering most telemarketers now are the robotic voices, they can’t take the hint,” Hunk pointed out. “Just play them to clear them out. If they sound like a telemarketer, just delete it.”

“Fine, fine” Lance waved him off and pushed play on the machine.

Sure enough, a lot of the messages were from telemarketers. There was one from his mom who still called his landline over his cellphone for whatever reason. There was also one from his brother, who also seemed to forget Lance had a cellphone. Lance deleted all those and made a note to call them back later.

He was about to skip over the next message when it started out with a seemingly long pause when a voice spoke.

Lance froze. That was undoubtedly Keith’s voice. He said nothing but a number, but Lance was sure it was Keith. It had to be, right?

“Did…did you guys hear that?” he asked. “I wasn’t just imagining that one, right?”

“Which one?” Allura asked. Neither she nor Hunk had been paying attention.

“This one,” Lance replayed the message. Allura and Hunk listened. “That sounds like Keith, right? I’m not dreaming this?”

“No, that sounded like Keith,” Hunk assured him. “You should call him back. He left his number, didn’t he?”

Allura smirked a bit. “I wonder if it was Shiro or Pidge who got him to call.”

“My bet’s on Pidge,” Hunk declared. “She probably threatened him with something if he didn’t finally call.”

“Yes, but Keith’s more likely to listen to Shiro,” Allura pointed out.

Lance stood frozen in his spot for another minute as Allura and Hunk continued their debate. After realizing this wasn’t a dream, he replayed the message and put the number into his phone. He walked into his room and shut the door, not wanting them to overhear this conversation if Keith did answer. He had no idea what he would say as he never expected Keith to make a move to get back in touch.

The phone rang three times before there was an answer. Lance thought he had the machine, even though he knew Keith didn’t have a landline. However, the message seemed to be directed to him and it was definitely Keith’s voice he was hearing.

_“If you’re calling about my heart it’s still yours. I should’ve listened to it a little more, then it wouldn’t have taken me so long to know where I belong. And by the way, Lance, this is no machine you’re talking to. Can’t you tell…this is Keith…and I still love you.”_

A few tears pricked Lance’s eyes at the confession. He was really glad this wasn’t Keith’s voicemail. A smile found its way onto his face.

“I still love you too, Keith.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this!


End file.
